


Bachelor Auction

by Sholio



Category: Iron Fist (TV)
Genre: Bachelor Auction, Developing Relationship, F/M, Flirting, Matchmaking, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 16:33:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17104157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sholio/pseuds/Sholio
Summary: Ward loses a bet, and Misty agrees to a favor.





	Bachelor Auction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [buhdderkupp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/buhdderkupp/gifts).



It all started with Colleen calling her out of the blue and saying, "Misty, I have the world's weirdest request, to which you can absolutely say no. Actually, no, I'm just going to have Danny explain this one." There was some rustling of the phone changing hands.

"Hello to you too, Rand," Misty said, amused.

"Hi. So. This is kind of a weird favor?" Danny said. "But it's for charity and I don't want to do it and Colleen's refusing for some reason."

"I won't lie to you here, I'm starting to worry," Misty said.

Once he'd explained enough that she got an idea of what was going on, she started laughing and kept on laughing until she couldn't breathe.

"So just let me get this straight. Ward lost a bet to you and now he has to participate in a bachelor auction."

"It's for charity," Danny said. "I mean, the alternative was that I was going to have to do it."

"Danny Rand, I will go to this thing just so I can watch."

"There's a cover charge," Danny said. "Which we'll pay for you. I mean, it _is_ for charity. I kind of just wanted someone who was willing to put up what is technically my money and outbid anyone who looks weird or creepy. I don't really want to do it myself because he's my brother and it'd be weird, and also because we don't really need to give the tabloids too much ammunition; they write about us enough as it is."

"So what's in it for me?" she asked, leaning back in her chair and drumming on her desk with her artificial hand. This was amazing. This was the best thing that had happened to her all week.

"You get to eat expensive food and drink top-shelf champagne on Rand's dime, and watch my brother embarrass himself?"

"Sold," Misty said.

 

***

 

"I can't believe they called you," Ward muttered when she buttonholed him outside the ballroom where the whole thing was happening, because she felt that he shouldn't go in unwarned. It turned out Danny and Colleen had already talked to him.

"Look on the bright side. It could be Danny bidding on you."

"Oh my God. No."

"My sentiments exactly. Look, Ward," she said, patting him on the arm with her metal hand, because she knew he liked to admire it; she was wearing a sleeveless dress that showed it off, "this is pretty much a win-win for you. Either you get a nice date with some single heiress, or I step in to save you from disaster. Think of me as your backup. Or, for a less martial metaphor, your safety net. Your wingman, if you will."

"I feel safer already." But he did actually look happier.

"Hey." She nudged him with the toe of her sparkly pump. "Are you good with this? 'cause say the word, and I'll pull a fire alarm. I believe that also comes under the wingman job description."

Ward actually laughed at that. "No fire alarms. You look good, by the way, Detective." And he was off before she could answer, vanishing into the swirling bright crowd.

 

***

 

When Misty went looking for him backstage after the auction, she found him stripping off the bow tie from his tux. "Detective Knight," he said, looking flushed and pleased. Misty recognized the high he was on right now; it was the way she got after a takedown that had gone off perfectly with no shots fired. "I can't help noticing you kept bidding outrageously on me even after no one else was."

"It's Rand's money," she pointed out. "And as Danny said, it's for charity. I may as well push the bidding as high as possible."

"It's almost as if you didn't want anyone else bidding on me."

"Hmmm. Maybe I just wanted to teach both of you a lesson about asking me for incredibly bizarre favors."

"Oh, is that what you were doing?"

Misty leaned against the wall and folded her arms, and grinned at him. "Don't worry, Ward. Your virtue is safe with me, and I texted the results to Danny, so I'm sure Rand's money is already winging its way towards needy orphans."

Ward narrowed his eyes at her. "And that's it. We're done?"

"Well," she said, "if you want to be." And then she couldn't help letting the playful facade drop. "Seriously, Ward, you don't owe me anything. I'm doing a favor for Danny and Colleen ... and for you. Don't feel obligated to me for anything. On the other hand ..." She shrugged, and hesitated, letting the pause fill the space between them.

He held out a hand; she curled her metal fingers around it, and Ward lifted it, unexpected, to brush his lips across her knuckles. She felt nothing; the machine's sensors weren't sensitive enough to give her feedback at that level. And yet, she felt as if she could feel it after all, the ghost of his lips across her phantom limb.

"Thanks," he said quietly. "I appreciate it. Does the thought cross your mind that we may have been slightly set up?"

"It did cross my mind, yes. I think we owe them payback."

A devilish gleam lit his eyes. "Now or later?"

"Later?" she suggested.

"Hmm. You have a point. I believe you've bought me for an evening, Detective. Where would you like to go?"

She smiled, and curled her arm into the crook of his. "You pick."


End file.
